Conference Scene Research Articles

Welcome to the July Issue [From the Editor’s Desk

Welcome to the July issue of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">IEEE Microwave Magazine</i> . Although I’m writing this “From the Editor’s Desk” column in early April, I predict that you and I attended the 2022 International Microwave Symposium (IMS), in Denver, Colorado. Making predictions is hazardous, especially about the future (with apologies to the originators of the quote, often attributed to a number of people, including Danish politician Karl Kristian Steincke and American baseball player Yogi Berra), but I am sure that everyone who attended IMS2022 was glad to be back in the conference scene of learning new technologies, seeing old friends, and making new ones. IMS is truly a unique conference, in that it blends our microwave engineering practices of theory, application, and hardware into a “see it all in one place” experience. And, as I mentioned in last month’s column, it looks like the trend toward more in-person conferences (or at least with a significant in-person component) is continuing, another sign that we are returning to approaching a prepandemic normal.

Ageing and osteoarticular system for healthy ageing on behalf of Integrative Medicine Research Group (IMRG).

Integrative Medicine Research Group (IMRG) presents a new conference scene about the "Ageing and osteoarticular system for healthy ageing" within a multidisciplinary approach of Integrative Medicine.

Conference Scene: The 2015 Tissue Engineering Congress, London, UK, 8-10 September 2015.

The 2015 Tissue Engineering Congress, held in London, UK on 8-10 September 2015, brought together the principles of engineering and life sciences in tissue development and regenerative medicine to discuss scientific research and developments of clinical applications from leading experts in the field. The newest research and developing technology were presented in the field of stem cell biology, tissue regeneration, 3D culture and scaffolds and biomaterials. The focus was on interdisciplinary approaches based on the combination of new-generation biomaterials and cell-based therapies, which can lead to breakthroughs in regenerating tissues in the future.

A collaborative client participant fusion system for realistic remote conferences

Remote conferencing systems provide a shared environment where people in different locations can communicate and collaborate in real time. Currently, remote video conferencing systems present separate video images of the individual participants. To achieve a more realistic conference experience, we enhance video conferencing by integrating the remote images into a shared virtual environment. This paper proposes a collaborative client participant fusion system using a real-time foreground segmentation method. In each client system, the foreground pixels are extracted from the participant images using a feedback background modeling method. Because the segmentation results often contain noise and holes caused by adverse environmental lighting conditions and substandard camera resolution, a Markov Random Field model is applied in the morphological operations of dilation and erosion. This foreground segmentation refining process is implemented using graphics processing unit programming, to facilitate real-time image processing. Subsequently, segmented foreground pixels are transmitted to a server, which fuses the remote images of the participants into a shared virtual environment. The fused conference scene is represented by a realistic holographic projection.

Personalization of loco-regional care for primary breast cancer patients (part 2).

Kyoto Breast Cancer Consensus Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 18-20 February 2014 The loco-regional management of breast cancer is increasingly complex with application of primary systemic therapies, oncoplastic techniques and genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility. Personalization of loco-regional treatment is integral to optimization of breast cancer care. Clinical and pathological tumor stage, biological features and host factors influence loco-regional treatment strategies and extent of surgical procedures. Key issues including axillary staging, axillary treatment, radiation therapy, primary systemic therapy (PST), preoperative hormonal therapy and genetic predisposition were identified and discussed at the Kyoto Breast Cancer Consensus Conference (KBCCC2014). In the second of a two part conference scene, consensus recommendations for radiation treatment, primary systemic therapies and management of genetic predisposition are reported and focus on the following topics: influence of both clinical response to PST and stage at presentation on recommendations for postmastectomy radiotherapy; use of regional nodal irradiation in selected node-positive patients and those with adverse pathological factors; extent of surgical resection following downstaging of tumors with PST; use of preoperative hormonal therapy in premenopausal women with larger, node-negative luminal A-like tumors and managing increasing demands for contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in patients with a unilateral sporadic breast cancer.

Personalization of loco-regional care for primary breast cancer patients (part 1).

ABSTRACT Kyoto Breast Cancer Consensus Conference, Kyoto, Japan, 18-20 February 2014 The loco-regional management of breast cancer is increasingly complex with application of primary systemic therapies, oncoplastic techniques and genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility. Personalization of loco-regional treatment is integral to optimization of breast cancer care. Clinical and pathological tumor stage, biological features and host factors influence loco-regional treatment strategies and extent of surgical procedures. Key issues including axillary staging, axillary treatment, radiation therapy, primary systemic therapy (PST), preoperative hormonal therapy and genetic predisposition were identified and discussed at the Kyoto Breast Cancer Consensus Conference (KBCCC2014). In the first of a two part conference scene, consensus recommendations for axillary management are presented and focus on the following topics: indications for completion axillary lymph node dissection in primary surgical patients with ≤2 macrometastases or any sentinel nodal deposits after PST; the timing of sentinel lymph node biopsy in the context of PST; use of axillary irradiation as a component of primary treatment plans and the role of intraoperative node assessment in the post-Z0011 era.

The 9th European Breast Cancer Conference

The 9th European Breast Cancer Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 19–21 March 2014 The 9th European Breast Cancer Conference was held in Glasgow, Scotland from 19–21 March 2014. The meeting provided a combination of practice-affirming and practice-changing sessions. In addition there were a number of stimulating sessions which, following validation, will lead to future practice changes in the management of breast cancer. This conference scene highlights some of the most important presentations at this thought-provoking conference.

Conference scene report for the Gestational Diseases Conference in London.

Conference scene report for the Gestational Diseases Conference in London.

Conference scene. The immunology of a successful pregnancy.

Conference scene. The immunology of a successful pregnancy.

Conference Scene: Advances in childhood diabetes 2013

In 1972, a handful of pediatricians met at the Paris home of the pediatrician Henri Lestradet to resolve that henceforth the care and advocacy of childhood diabetes should lie with pediatric specialists, rather than adult diabetologists. In 1974, the first scientific meeting of the then ‘International Study Group on Diabetes in Children and Adolescents (ISGD)’ took place. The name of the society changed in 1993 to the ‘International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD)’, and in October 2013 more than 1450 specialists in pediatric diabetes from over 80 countries attended the largest ever meeting of ISPAD in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Conference Scene: A conference to celebrate World Diabetes Day 2013: the 41st Meeting of the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes

41st Meeting of the British Society for Paediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes (BSPED), Brighton, UK, 13–15 November 2013

A snapshot of new developments in medical oncology, surgery and radiotherapy

San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2013, Henry B Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX, USA, 10–14 December 2013 The San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium 2013 was a 5-day program with 7500 attendees from over 90 countries. Once again, the symposium provided a number of practice-changing and practice-reinforcing presentations. This conference scene reports on the most important presentations, with commentary from three leading breast cancer specialists.

Conference scene: pharmacogenomics: from cell to clinic (part 2).

Second International ESPT Meeting Lisbon, Portugal, 26-28 September 2013 The second European Society of Pharmacogenomics and Theranostics (ESPT) conference was organized in Lisbon, Portugal, and attracted 250 participants from 37 different countries. The participants could listen to 50 oral presentations, participate in five lunch symposia and were able to view 83 posters and an exhibition. Part 1 of this Conference Scene was presented in the previous issue of Pharmacogenomics. This second part will focus on: clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics tests; transporters and pharmacogenomics; stem cells and other new tools for pharmacogenomics and drug discovery; from system pharmacogenomics to personalized medicine; and, finally, we will discuss the Posters and Awards that were presented at the conference.

Pharmacogenomics: from cell to clinic (Part 1).

The second international European Society of Pharmacogenomics and Theranostics (ESPT) conference was organized in Lisbon, Portugal, and attracted 250 participants from 37 different countries. The participants could listen to 50 oral presentations, participate in five lunch symposia and were able to view 83 posters and an exhibition. The first part of this Conference Scene will focus on the pharmacogenomics and biomarkers used in medical oncology, and in particular solid tumors. In addition, this article covers the two keynote conference introductory lectures by Ann K Daly and Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg. The second part of this article will discuss the clinical implementation of pharmacogenomic tests; the role of transports and pharmacogenomics; how stem cells and other new tools are helping the development of pharmacogenomics and drug discovery; and an update on the clinical translation of pharmacogenomics to personalized medicine. Part two of this Conference Scene will be featured in the next issue of Pharmacogenomics.

World Conference on Regenerative Medicine.

World Conference on Regenerative Medicine.

Conference Scene: Global and local solutions to managing and preventing Type 2 diabetes: the Melbourne declaration on diabetes and beyond

World Diabetes Congress, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2–6 December 2013 Every 2 years the International Diabetes Federation holds the World Diabetes Congress. It brings together world leaders and experts including healthcare professionals, researchers, policy-makers, pharmaceutical companies, people with diabetes, their families and their carers exchanging diverse views, perspectives, challenges and solutions with respect to the prevention, management and treatment of diabetes. Twenty years after the World Diabetes Congress in Japan, the focus was again in the western pacific region as Melbourne hosted the World Diabetes Congress from 2–6 December 2013. Over 10,000 delegates came from across the globe to hear the President of the International Diabetes Federation Sir Michael Hirst, outline the threat the world faces from diabetes – it is a global challenge requiring a global response. One of the key outcomes of the conference was the release of the Melbourne Declaration on Diabetes in which 50 Governme...

Conference Scene: A congress report from the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2013

The American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2013 was held in Dallas (TX, USA), from the 16th to the 20th of November 2013. More than 18,000 attendees from 105 countries were gathered in Dallas, home of the American Heart Association national headquarters.

Conference Scene: New Research Directions in Innate Immunity

The 2013 3R's event, chaired by Kathy Triantafilou and Martha Triantafilou (Institute of Infection & Immunity, Cardiff University School of Medicine, UK), brought together immunologists across Europe investigating multiple species and pathology. The conference heard nine speakers describe their research, and received ten highly structured in-depth posters from postgraduate students. Three promising research directions are described, demonstrating the importance of continued support for innate immunity research in common diseases affecting humans and ruminants, universally understood to have profound economic impacts on patients, health services and the agricultural industry.

Conference Scene: Systems Biology and Personalized Health Science and Translation

After a 1-day advanced course on systems biology, the main themes of this 3-day colloquium were developed: from systems biology to systems medicine with special applications to cancer; pharmacogenomics in drug discovery and clinical application; and epigenomics and genome-wide association studies in cardiovascular diseases. In two roundtable discussions on pharmacogenomics and genome-wide association studies, the progress and the difficulties in the implementation of omics technologies in clinical practice were discussed. Three workshops were also organized on technical tools linked to the meeting themes.

Conference Scene: Scientists Discuss The Future of Nanomedicine

The First International Translational Nanomedicine Conference was recently held at Northeastern University (MA, USA) from 26 to 28 July 2013, in the heart of historic Boston (MA, USA). Sponsored by the International Journal of Nanomedicine and Northeastern University’s College of Engineering, the conference focused on strategies for turning the advances in nanomedicine research into actual products, as well as addressing other issues pertinent to the future of the field. Plenary talks were given by distinguished Northeastern University faculty members for 1 h, and 30-min technical talks were given by experts from all over the world. Interspersed through the lectures, over 100 students and researchers presented posters detailing their latest findings.